Summertime is all about bright colours, memorable flavours, delightful scents and new discoveries, and I have just the perfect thing for all of you to try and fall in love with!

I know that cooking with matcha is nothing new, but it is often not about the product itself, but how you can utilize or improve it in order to get the desired outcome. When it comes to cooking with matcha, there is plenty of room to experiment. I have stumbled upon a very exciting recipe recently that is definitely now on my favourite’s list – Banana Matcha Rhubarb muffins!

What you’ll need:

2 tbsp matcha powder

2 cups plain flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup caster sugar

rhubarb (cut up), optional

2 bananas (mashed up), optional

caster sugar, to top

“Preheat oven at 170degC. Line muffin tin with muffin cups. In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients. Then, slowly add in wet ingredients, mixing well after each addition. Then fold in the cut rhubarb. Fill muffin tin with mixture about 3/4 of the way. Sprinkle granulated sugar to the top. Bake for around 15-20 minutes.” (Recipe courtesy of http://dishpiglets.wordpress.com)!

Now if you just want to experiment using matcha in your baked goods, here is a simple recipe for a matcha cake:

What you’ll need:

3 ounces (3/4 cup) cake flour

1 t. Matcha tea (ingredient grade)

6 ounces (4) whole large eggs, at room temperature

3 ounces (scant ½ cup) granulated sugar

Powdered sugar for dusting the top of the cake before serving, if desired

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

“Sift the cake flour with the tea three times. Using aerosol pan spray, coat the bottom of a 9-inch round cake pan lightly. Place a round of parchment paper on the bottom of the pan and spray the parchment lightly. Set the pan aside. Place the eggs and sugar into a heatproof bowl. Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water. Whisking constantly, heat until the eggs and sugar feel warm to the touch (approximately 100-110 degrees F.). Then pour the mixture into the bowl of an electric mixer, outfitted with a whisk attachment, and beat until light in color and texture, approximately tripled in volume. Then, gently but thoroughly, fold the dry ingredients into the egg foam without deflating, making sure that there is no undissolved flour lurking at the bottom of the mixing bowl. Immediately scoop the mixture into the prepared cake pan and bake for approximately 25 minutes, or until the cake tests done when a skewer is inserted into the center. Cool on a rack. Dust with sifted powdered sugar just before serving, if desired.” (Recipe courtesy of http://www.matchasource.com)!